The Light You Seek
by Soulhates
Summary: The name Ichigo Kurosaki is familiar on the lips of all who attend Karakura High. They all say he's caring, smart, good-looking... yet all Rukia sees is an idiot with too much ego stuck up his butt. He elects to change that. IchiRuki AU.
1. Contention

Chapter One: Contention

The best way Rukia could describe Ichigo Kurosaki was with a word that, had Byakuya heard, he would be washing her mouth with soap.

Of course, it seemed that almost every other girl in her school thought differently, which made navigating through conversations extremely difficult. Everywhere she went, it was, "Oh, Ichigo Kurosaki is so good-looking!" or "Man, why does he have to be so smart?" Even her two friends, Orihime and Momo, weren't immune to those thoughts, made more incriminating by the fact that the latter had a boyfriend.

There was no easy method to pinpoint the exact moment in time when this loathing had been birthed, but Rukia supposed it was most likely in second grade. He had received better marks than her on their quarterly progress reports and didn't hesitate to brag about it, to her face.

School was one area that Rukia prided herself in, and defeat was simply not acceptable. To make matters worse, she only lost to him by half a percentage point in math class. It stung, it really did. Adding salt to the injury was that the strawberry _continued_ to outperform her in math class, but never by a margin – no more than a point or two. Then he had the audacity to walk up to her one day in seventh grade and offer his assistance in a particularly difficult unit. Which she did _not_ need, thank you very much.

That was not even the most irritating aspect about him. Ichigo was also constantly with a different female escort, probably letting his last one down over text next the day after, a coward's way out. He seemed like that type of person.

She also did not comprehend why he kept smiling at her, be it in the hallways of school or uptown when they happen to bump into each other. That snarky, sarcastic grin. He never appeared fazed when she walks past him quickly, wearing a scowl to harsh enough to scare children. He was undoubtedly mocking her – why else would a person smile at their nemesis?

Needless to say, Ichigo Kurosaki was a dick.

No matter how many times Rukia tried to convince her friends of it, none of them listened and merely waved it off with a, "Oh come on, move past it, Rukia."

Renji Abarai was perhaps the most guilty out of them, even going so far as to consort with and befriend the enemy. It wasn't surprising though, considering they were on the same basketball team, which inevitably lead to the two spending more time together. They've even gone on double-dates together with their respective girlfriends-at-the-time.

Orihime Inoue might be the runner-up for the spot of guilty, considering she does have a sizable crush on the man. It had started a few years back when Ichigo prevented her from falling in gym class during the soccer unit. Her being slightly clumsy and a magnet for trouble made tripping on the ball unavoidable. Thankfully, the "knight in shining armor" swooped in and looped his arm around her waist and pulled her upright again. The only good that came out of the situation was Rukia grabbed the chance to steal the ball and score the winning goal for her team. Orihime, however, became hung up on the strawberry ever since.

Momo Hinamori was probably the most tolerable when in a conversation about Ichigo. She admired him quietly, but that was the extent of it. She was sweet on some prodigy genius by the name of Toshiro Hitsugaya who was short in both stature and temper. They balanced each other out quite well, actually. Momo was bubblier than a fish tank, and Hitsugaya would often become flustered around her, and "flustered" was not a word used to describe him often.

As for Rukia's own love life? Nonexistent as of now, and she held no grudges against that. It will come when it does, and if it doesn't, then that was that. That was one aspect she had in common with her friend, Chad Yasutora, and she was glad she wasn't the only one who thought love wasn't essential for happiness.

All this she contemplated on one October Sunday, finishing up a history project due in three days.

After typing the last sentence on the report, Rukia cracked her knuckles with satisfaction and leaned back on her chair with a fatigued sigh. Finishing work always gave her a pleasant feeling of accomplishment.

Her phone lit up with life as her ringtone played "Spring" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Rukia designated one for each of her closeted contacts (Byakuya, Renji, Momo, and Orihime), and this was the one given to Hinamori. "Hey Momo, what's been happening?"

The girl's voice was soft when she posed the question, "Rukia, do you think I'm smart?"

Leaping into friend mode, Rukia assured her with, "Of course! Why do you ask? Oh wait... this is about Hitsugaya isn't it? Did he call you dumb, because if he did –"

"No, of course not. Shiro wouldn't say that, but – oh this sounds so silly – we were playing Trivial Pursuit, and he just _utterly demolished me_. I mean, I know I'm not as smart as him, but what if he actually does think I'm dumb? Considering he skipped a grade and got into MENSA and... What if?" The last part was said in a whisper of horror.

"If Hitsugaya truly is that smart, then he should realize that you're the best thing that's ever going to happen to him and hold on tight."

Momo giggled nervously, less anxious now. "People always say they get a fiery, fluttery feeling in their tummy when they meet 'the one'."

"People say lots of things, and people who shouldn't say anything often are the ones who say too much," Rukia mused. Momo could be entirely too naive and trusting sometimes, so Rukia assumed the job of bringing her friend down from her cloud of innocence. "For example, I get a fiery, fluttery feeling in my stomach when I see Kurosaki, and that mostly contains my animosity and a desire to punch him."

Momo giggle again, this time more relaxedly. The two then moved on to another topic of discussion, whether whipped cream was acceptable on coffee or not ("Momo, it'll just ruin the sanctity of caffeine!"; "Whipped cream is a versatile food and acceptable on anything!").

The two ended the conversation a few minutes later when Hinamori realized she still have unfinished chores.

As soon as Rukia hung up, another call came through, this time "Summer," which meant Renji.

"You have to rescue me from my inevitable death on Tuesday," he groaned.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Drama queen."

"No, you don't understand. My parents are hosting this huge, formal dinner at our house in two days, and it's going to be all old, boring people in suits and dresses. Even worse, they're forcing me to attend so they can present me as their 'most excellent son' to their coworkers." With horror, not unlike Momo's tone before, Renji added, "And I have to dress up in a suit, tie, and kiss old ladies' hands when inviting them inside." A gagging noise was audible.

"What do you want me to do? Get a huge wrecking ball and knock your house down so you don't need to go to the party, greet old people, and learn how to tie a tie?"

"No, no, just endure the party with me. That way, I can at least bring someone down with me."

"Hmm..." Rukia tapped her chin with an index finger.

"There will be professional catering."

"Done."

She could practically see Renji roll his eyes. They went over a few more details of the dinner party, like what types of clothes are suitable to wear and when to show up, and Renji ended the connection with a sincere, "Thank you."

Throughout the two phone conversations, Rukia had moved from a corpse position on her bed to standing up beside her window. She claimed the entirety of the attic, and that gave her plenty of space. The only downside to the room was the view.

A practically identical house stood next to the Kuchiki's (except with blue shutters) that belonged to no one else but the Kurosakis. Yours truly. Rukia scowled towards the direction of the building only to have the room directly across from her window light up. It _was_ getting dark, actually. Right when she was about to go and turn on her own light, Ichigo himself popped up from behind his window, probably meaning to close his blinds.

He immediately saw Rukia's face and cocked his head, curious. Oh fuck, now it looked like she had been trying to take a peek into his room or something equally stalkerish.

Narrowing her eyes, Rukia clenched her curtains with her hands and flicked them shut without another thought.

* * *

Ichigo didn't understand why Rukia Kuchiki hated him so intensely. To be frank, it even frightened him a little how determined she seemed about her hate.

No one in his school can even hope to contend with her apparent loathing, and he can't find a reasonable cause as to why she felt that way. He didn't want her to feel that way.

Not once had he insulted her, belittled her (well, perhaps a quip about her height here and there, but the teasing wasn't said with ill intent), or really done _anything_. One day during elementary school, she had just shown up with a sour expression and looked at him with distaste from then on. Who knew someone as pretty as her could look so... venomous.

Yes, he had to admit it, Rukia did have an attractive face, perhaps even since they had first met. It had been the cause for many of his blushes, but it was just that – a pretty face.

Or at least that's what he kept telling himself. There were many pleasant faces at Karakura High, like that Inoue girl who talked to him quite often. However, none of those faces managed to draw a grin to his face, even if they were fawning over him in the hallways of the school. Meanwhile, Rukia somehow managed it with a snarl of, "Kurosaki," or perhaps something more vile. It defied logic.

Ichigo also didn't understand why he received so much attention from the opposite gender. He once asked one of his only female friend, Tatsuki, and she gave him a "why are you being so dense?" look.

She had said, with a shake of the head, "You know, for someone with the highest grades at Karakura High, you can be so blind."

"What?" He had complained.

"Let's lay it out, shall we? You're the top student, like I've mentioned, you're not bad-looking, even borderline attractive, you're nice to almost everyone... I mean, you've never rejected a single girl who asked you out."

"I don't want to hurt their feelings or see them run off crying..." He had muttered.

"Exactly my point. Besides, you gained a lot of fame after the puppy incident last year, so now everyone knows you." Tatsuki was referring to the incident during their junior year when two young, extra-ferocious dobermans and two chihuahuas were set loose within the confines of the school. No one knew who was the culprit, but many assumed it was the senior prank for that year. However, it didn't prove successful when two people fainted from anxiety out of fear of dogs and several ran out of the school, scared of being bitten.

Somehow, two janitors, several student council members, and a very irate principal weren't enough to catch the beasts as they weaved through the hallways, yapping at every student they passed. Dogs were not Ichigo's favorite animal, and the barking was getting on his nerves, so Ichigo took out a few pieces of beef jerky from his lunch and waved it tantalizingly at them.

Seconds later, the dogs were at his feet, tails wagging, tongues drooling. He was squashed under a pile of puppy. Animal Control was called, and it was revealed that they had all intentions of euthanizing the animals for "causing bodily harm to students," as the principal so graciously put it.

As much as he didn't like the dogs, the fault cannot be placed on them and now, they're the ones paying with their lives for no discernable reason. Except scaring a few people here and there, but that can be set aside.

In the short amount of time that it took for the Animal Control people to arrive, Ichigo managed to convince and rally enough people to take the dogs into their care. In fact, he himself volunteered to adopt the female doberman, thinking it fit Karin's personality and maybe she could convince their father to keep it. Surprisingly, after he led it home using extra pieces of jerky, Yuzu was the one to take the dog under her care and was the catalyst in Isshin accepting the newly christened "Cinnamon" as an official Kurosaki.

Since that day, a large population of the school looked upon him with reverence or even just giving him a general nod of acknowledgement. Rukia, however, was no different. There was a second though, seeing him buried under a pile of dog, when her eyes widened with surprise. It was a pleasant type of surprise, he thought.

She had the same exact expression on when he saw her standing by her window across from his. Then it disappeared, like it had before, and she pulled her curtains shut at an incredible speed.

There was no time to brood over its meaning because then, his cellphone rang, interrupting his thoughts. "Hey Renji, what's up?"

"Kurosaki, you gotta help me out." He then went on to relay the heartbreaking tale of a dinner party he had to attend, hosted by his parents. It was filled with prospects of business talk, meticulous table manners, and formal clothing – none of which are his forte. "So now I'm cordially inviting you to suffer alongside me on Tuesday at six. How 'bout it?"

"You owe me one, Abarai."

**A/N: I've read somewhere that Rukia corresponds with the Italian "Lucia," meaning light, and thus sprung a title. This idea has been nagging at me for a while now, so I'll be working on this as a side project. **

**I would love to have some reviews on what you think! :D**


	2. Bloodshed

Chapter Two: Bloodshed

The wake-up alarm had to be the most hellish sound to be ever graced upon this earth.

Rukia's head was filled with that thought alone as she forced herself to crawl out of bed and change into presentable school clothes. For some unexplained reason, she wasn't able to fall asleep last night until well past midnight, so "refreshed" was definitely not a word that could currently describe her.

Bleary-eyed and only half lucid, she dumped some cereal into a bowl and ended up spilling milk on the kitchen countertop. "Fuck!"

"Problem?" A cool voice said from the dining room. Byakuya was sitting at the table, legs crossed and calmly reading the morning paper.

Almost dropping her spoon in surprise, Rukia spun around on her heels towards the direction of the voice. "Oh, hey, Brother. I- I was just getting some... milk." She gave the jug a swish to prove her point.

The subject of swearing was a touchy issue in the Kuchiki household. Although Byakuya acknowledges the fact that his adoptive sister does in fact cuss, that does not mean he necessarily condones it while it was done in close proximities. Knowing that, Rukia treaded carefully in his presence, but slips do occur sporadically, such as when a person was running on less than six hours of sleep. However, Byakuya seemed to be in a pleasant mood today, and seeing how unrested Rukia was, he decided to let it pass.

The remainder of breakfast was spent in their usual silence, with either party sometimes offering comments on the weather, the stock market, or perhaps the general state of affairs in the government. Standard procedure.

After draining all the remainder milk from her bowl, Rukia took a peek into the bathroom mirror to make sure her hair didn't look too horrid, and ran outside towards the bus stop.

The bus ride to Karakura High was uneventful as usual. Some people were extraordinarily rowdy, some didn't speak a word. Some were doing homework, some copied worksheets from their friends. Some couples were displaying PDA, while others shot glares of daggers at each other. Rukia took her usual seat near Orihime, and the oh-so-perfect strawberry sat two seats back from them.

No, it was actually that Orihime made extra sure they didn't sit too far away from Ichigo, but she had to make do when the closest seat was two away. She flashed a smile as a greeting towards Ichigo, but Rukia didn't care to see his reaction back.

"Doesn't he have the most dreamy eyes?" The Inoue girl whispered to her friend after slinking down on the bus seat.

"If you say so." This wasn't a foreign topic that she brought up. In fact, it was one of Orihime's favorites, and Rukia learned to casually wave it off as time went on.

Keigo Asano must've overheard from the seat across from theirs, because he inched closer to the two and winked. "I can show you girls dreamy if that's what you're both looking for."

"Shove off, Asano." Rukia cracked her knuckles.

He left them alone for the remainder of the bus ride.

Homeroom was a welcoming escape from the zoo that was the school bus and always a curious thing to behold. The teacher in charged was a man called Shunsui Kyoraku, and he was in charge of those with the last names "I" through "K." However, he was asleep half the time and rarely took attendance, letting the students pretty much reign free. He must've been a deep sleeper as well, because it often got quite loud but he never appeared disturbed while deep in his slumber.

Rukia was one of the first students to arrive, Orihime having slowed down to accompany the strawberry to class, so she decided to hurry ahead. It was better if she didn't have to witness her friend attempting to flirt with the fool. She deserved someone much better, like maybe that intelligent Ishida boy who was also in the same homeroom as them. He was much more reserved and less brusque than Kurosaki, and mostly importantly, did not have an eyesore for hair.

The worst possible aspect of the alphabet was that its cruelty often paired Rukia up with Ichigo. The majority of her teachers also insisted on seating their students alphabetically, and one doesn't require much imagination to see how that would turn out.

Fortunately, homeroom deviated from the norm and happened to be one of the few classes where no one followed the seating chart.

Unfortunately, the principal was present when Rukia walked in, meaning that Kyoraku would be on top of his game today.

Nanao Ise was a straight-to-the-point, taking-no-bullshit type of woman, the exact opposite of Kyoraku. However, what physics class once said about opposites attracting must be true because the man actually straightened up and appeared to work when she was present. Whether that was the effect of affection from his side or not was up to debate, but bets have already been made throughout the homeroom.

"Ms. Ise, how come you're here this morning?" Rukia greeted, not entirely pleased with the development. With Kyoraku being in actual teacher mode, this meant all the students had to follow everything by the rule book. Meaning, she'd be forced to tolerate Kurosaki sitting next to her for ten torturous minutes this morning.

"Standard annual staff evaluations," Nanao explained, clutching a clipboard.

It didn't take long for the rest of the class to arrive, and after seeing Nanao Ise present, Uryu Ishida's desk became a particularly popular place to congregate. He was the mathematician and bookie behind all the betting and gambling that occurred in the class, so anyone who wished to place wagers or to change their previous bets went to him.

Throughout the four years that the Kyoraku homeroom had been together, several rounds have been played, and significant amounts of money have changed ownership.

The very first gamble that had taken place was whether Ulquiorra Cifer, the palest student in the school, could tan or not (the answer to that was undetermined, as no one could convince him to stay out in the sun long enough to draw a conclusion). Then there was the infamous one over how many bottles of ketchup Kenpachi Zaraki, the most athletic – and surprisingly agile – student, can juggle at once in the cafeteria (the answer was seven). Then there had been a recent one fought over whether Keigo or Kon was better at sneaking into the girls' locker room (both of them were pummeled pretty badly by Tatsuki Arisawa, so a tie was called).

It first began as a practice that went on within the confines of the homeroom, but it slowly grew out of control. Now, the entire senior class participates, and it has turned into much of a tradition as time went on.

Roll call lasted for barely a minute, and there was only one announcement that was of interest to Rukia: "Don't forget to place your votes in this student council president election. The polls will close tomorrow."

Rukia sneaked a glance at her forsworn enemy who wasn't paying any attention. Both of them were frontrunners in the election, and she had no intentions whatsoever of losing to the strawberry.

After all the absent students were marked down, Kyoraku chatted up the principal, or at least put forth an attempt. The rest of class sat around in an awkward silence because, let's be serious, Nanao Ise is quite an intimidating woman when she wants to be.

The bell was a welcoming sound when it finally came, and Rukia hightailed it out of the room. She walked alongside Momo to first period, which happened to be gym. Although she possessed a small stature, Rukia nonetheless liked to consider herself at least adequately athletic, particularly during activities that require dodging.

However, that skill won't be much use for the day because the chosen activity turned out to be basketball. Many of the boys were glad, including Kurosaki, seeing that a number of them were on the school's team. Their teacher was a slender, dark-skinned woman whom everyone called Yoruichi. She blew her whistle forcefully and ordered everybody to group up into teams of four players, and God help her if anyone gets left out because exclusion will not be tolerated at this school. Apparently, she intended for the teams to play several mini-matches, each lasting five minutes, so there will be more individual participation.

Rukia cracked her knuckles with a sly grin and turned to her team that consisted of Momo, a tiny girl named Yachiru, and a straggler called Hanataro who was too shy at first to ask to join a team. "Don't worry, guys, we totally got this."

They became doubtful after seeing their first opponents.

After being randomly assigned a team number by the teachers, all the teams were paired up to go against each other, and Rukia's just happened to face four boys who were all part of the Karakura basketball team. Zaraki, Grimmjow, Chad, and who can forget fate cruelly shining down upon her, Ichigo Kurosaki. Their team gave Ichigo the privilege to tip the ball.

"I've got it," Rukia murmured to her teammates out of the corner of her mouth, almost instinctively, as competition against the strawberry was not an opportunity she usually passed up. Had she not disliked him so, then she could even call him something of an inspiration, always motivating her to just be better than him at things, whether that was in gym class or not.

Ichigo smirked when he saw her approach the center of the court.

"You won't be smiling after you lose the match," Rukia growled, suddenly extremely conscious of their height differences. She only reached his shoulders, which didn't bode well when trying to intimidate him. Maybe she shouldn't have gone on a whim after all and volunteered for the ball-tipping duty, but it was way too late to back down now without appearing cowardly.

And up the ball flew, launched by Yoruichi, but Ichigo made no move to grab it. It fell right into Rukia's open palms, but she stood frozen as well, confused by his immobility. She had expected an intense battle for the basketball, but, "Are you just going to let me have the ball?"

"Why not," he shrugged almost snarkily, as if it were no big deal. "I mean, seeing who you're up against, you should appreciate the help."

"What's that suppose to mean? I have a perfectly competent team!" She shoved the ball at him. "I don't need your pity."

"I'm not trying to pity you! Just take the ball, goddammit." He threw it back, but its path was intercepted by a very disgruntled Grimmjow before reaching its intended recipient.

Growling, the blue-haired man gave them both a look of disgust. "Take your flirting somewhere off the court." Then, it was as if a switch had been flipped because everyone on the gym floor snapped back into serious mode, and the game officially started.

Rukia tore away from the center of the court and ran to defend. Yachiru yelled that she would be handling Kenpachi, which Momo appeared rather concerned about. However, she didn't' have long to dwell on that because she had her own person to guard. Hanataro then stepped up and claimed Chad. The other team scored.

Many times.

When there was only two minutes left and Rukia's team was still devoid of any points, she decided that she had to do something. Pride was at stake here.

Momo currently held possession of the ball, but she was cornered by both Ichigo and Chad with no way to pass it without it being obstructed by an enemy teammate. The girl threw a look of bewilderment at Rukia, who began to devise a plan. She would dart into the gap between the two of their opponents, snatch the ball from Momo, and hopefully escape without having the ball stolen. Finally, her size might become an advantage. Yes, this would definitely work.

After silently counting to three, Rukia leaped forward with a battle cry, completely determined – only to have someone's hand slam directly into her face.

Ichigo must've turned around suddenly, after hearing her yell, consequently swinging his arm around. Inertia kept it flying until it met a target, which was unfortunately Rukia's face. With a yelp, she staggered back, clutching her nose. It stung like hell, and a few drops of blood began dripping. The whole room fell silent, and Momo gasped after noticing the crimson on her friend.

"Kuchiki! Are you alright?" Yoruichi blew her whistle and ran up towards the girl. She pointed a finger in Ichigo's direction and commanded, "You, Kurosaki, take her to the nurse's office!"

Rukia began to protest vehemently that she was fine, but that was cut short when Yoruichi shoved her outside the gym along with the insufferable strawberry. The blood had ceased its flow, and Rukia felt a strong urge to wipe some of it on Ichigo's shirt, for payback. But no, that would go against all the courtesies and manners that Byakuya taught her. What made her feel a warm glow of satisfaction, though, was when she saw that her reluctant escort appeared, if possible, guilty. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his gym shorts, and he padded a few steps behind her.

Feeling her accusatory gaze, he lifted his eyes. "Sorry about that."

That made her snap, "'Sorry'? That's all you've got?"

He held up his hands in protest. "What else am I suppose to do? Grovel at your feet for forgiveness just because of a small accident? Sorry, but you're not as venerable as you might believe."

Clenching her fist, Rukia halted in her steps and turned to face Ichigo with an expression that screamed murder. Poking an index finger assertively into his chest, she snarled, "You shouldn't be talking, you egotistical prick! And I'm surprised you even know the definition of 'venerable'."

"Well, I _am_ the top student in the senior class."

"God, stop acting so self-righteous! You're the one who's at fault here for making me bleed all over _my face_." Rukia was now standing on her toes in an attempt to gain some leverage in height.

He took several deep breaths, as if to calm himself, then burst out laughing. Alarmed, Rukia took a step back.

After gasping for air, Ichigo managed to choke out an explanation, "You still have blood on your cheeks, by the way. Maybe we should postpone this argument until later, when you don't look like someone who had just committed murder and forgot to clean up the evidence."

"Maybe you're the one who needs to be murdered..." Rukia muttered under her breath and stalked away towards the school nurse's office, livid.

* * *

**A/N: I want to say that this fic is based on the American grade system, meaning 5 years for elementary school, 3 for middle, and 4 for high. Oh, and Rukia and Ichigo are both seniors. **

**Thanks to Baby Velociraptor, jayc (guest), My Name Is Someone, Lizzy (guest), awesomeeee (guest), teshichan, FY, and apple21 for reviewing! I'd love to hear some more. :D**


	3. Planning

Chapter Three: Plans

Ichigo stood by idly while the nurse cleaned off the blood on Rukia and made sure nothing was broken. And while the woman wiped her face with a wet rag, Rukia multiple consecutive death glares at her assigned escort. "You can go back to gym now, you know? I don't need you here."

"And who will make sure that you don't faint from blood loss on your way back?" He laughed.

She scowled at him.

Once they arrived back, Rukia was asked to sit out on the bleachers, "just to give her some time to recuperate," Yoruichi reasoned. Meanwhile, Ichigo was allowed to jump right back into the court, and his team ended up winning every single game they played. As for Momo, Yachiru, and Hanataro, they had to make do with three-on-three, so an opponent team member always had to sit out to accommodate their shortage of one.

The remainder of the school day was rather slow-going for Ichigo – well, nothing would really compare after the extremely eventful first usual materials were presented in calculus, and they read a section of _Paradise Lost_ out loud in English. And of course, that book ended up making every single person in the room extremely lost and fuddled.

So Ichigo was overtly glad when the bell rang that signified the end of eighth period, but then recalled that he still had basketball practice.

Practice was extremely costly and ended up being an hour and a half of lap-running and drill-doing hell that strained every single muscle on his body. Returning home didn't bode well for him physically, either, as Isshin Kurosaki always had a physical attack held in store to welcome his son home.

The moment Ichigo stepped a foot into the kitchen where both Yuzu and Karin were gorging themselves on snacks, a stocky man apparated from seemingly nowhere and attempted a tackle.

It took several loud rounds of shouting from both parties and a series of eyerolls from Karin before Ichigo finally managed to escape the wrath of his strange father.

He grasped the first chance of escape that came and leaped for the quiet sanctity of his bedroom. The curtains were pulled wide open, and the Kuchiki house was in full view. Which urged him to reflect on the fact that Rukia frustrated him no less today than she always did, but it wholly horrible. It was better than her completely ignoring him, right? And besides, their exchanges always greatly amused him. Just... frustratingly amusing. She always acted like he had perpetrated some personal act of terrorism against her, but then never bothered to state the actual problem. If she did have some issues with him, then he _did _have a right to know rather than being left in the dark. Why must some people be so exasperatingly elusive, but then are so... interesting.

Rukia was the type of person to make him grasp for adjectives.

Before he knew it, sleep crept up on him as the effects of basketball took its toll, and it was not until tomorrow morning that he realized that he hasn't started any of his homework.

* * *

Tuesday morning passed in a blur for Rukia. The school introduced some new, fancy standardized test because, apparently, the state's board of education decided that they needed a better indicator of how to divide the education budget for the years to come. So needless to say, the students of Karakura High were not particularly pleased, and almost everyone meandered through the hallways with a vaguely pissed off expression.

Rukia thought naught of it, though, seeing that she performed exemplary on almost every test she took, and surely this will be no different. The pros are also beneficial enough, due to the teachers never assigning homework during testing periods.

Her good mood, though, was tested when her orchestra instructor informed her that she will be collaborating with Ichigo for the winter concert that is being held four days before Christmas.

Now orchestra was one area that Rukia like to believe she crushed Ichigo at, even though they played different instruments. She commanded the violin with grace and poise while he took to the cello. They were both first chairs in their respective sections, but she has been playing for a year longer, therefore holding the upper hand.

But apparently the conductor hadn't thought of it that way, because she was convinced that there was a particular violin-cello duet that "fit your skill levels well and would be perfect if you two performed together."

Every single year, the senior class always had a few solo pieces, duets, or trios handed out as a semi-gift for the students' four years of continued dedication to the school orchestra. The most skilled players were chosen for the opportunity, and most strived for a chance to seize the spotlight all to themselves. However, it was still ultimately up to the students to accept or deny the offer, but few ever opted for the latter.

Ever since seeing a senior perform by herself when she first entered the high school, Rukia had her eyes set on the honor, but now, a duet just seemed... second-rate.

It took quite a lot of self control to not start laying complaints on her teacher because, after all, she did play better than that strawberry.

Continuing on without noticing any of her student's grievances, the conductor said, "You both are wonderful players, and so I think it'd be an absolute treat for the audience to hear you combined. The song I had in mind is 'Schindler's List Theme,' as composed by John Williams. Very, very gorgeous, as fitting of your playing, Rukia."

_If it's so gorgeous, then how come you didn't think to give me a solo. _

"I had already talked to Ichigo about this earlier today, and he said it would be a great idea, so now it's up to you..." The teacher tapped her fingers expectantly against her desk's wooden surface.

Now Rukia was trapped in a most un-ideal dilemma. On one hand, she really didn't want to cooperate with the strawberry – they'd be forced to meet up out of their own free time and rehearse together! However, it didn't look like she will get another offer of a solo any time soon, so it was either this or nothing.

Did she want to taint her special moment or not have one at all?

"Alright, I'll do it."

The teacher looked pleased and sent her to her next class with the sheet music needed.

So aside from that unpleasantness, the day went without a hitch for Rukia. Then, thanks to the wonderful fates that decided her future, Ichigo decided to approach her when she descended from the bus home. He settled into the same pace beside her, them walking the same route home.

"So, a duet, huh?"

Rukia gripped her backpack straps and gave a curt nod. "Yes, and I accepted her offer. Which means that at no point during the performance will you screw up, because it'll be my shining moment."

"I don't know, isn't it more of_ our_ shining moment? You know, duets do require two participants."

"You can take your shining moment elsewhere, because I'm calling dibs on this one. Byakuya is also going to attend this concert, my last one in Karakura, so if you so as much as play out of tune..." Ichigo was being way too mellow about this whole situation, Rukia decided, and it bothered her how much it didn't seem to bother him at all. Doesn't he want a solo instead of this as well? Isn't he annoyed about being robbed of a chance to stand out and showcase his individual talents? She also decided that he was standing too close for comfort and sped up.

"Wait," he called out and took out a scrap of paper and a pen from his backpack. Scribbling down some numbers, he presented it to her. "My cell, so we can make arrangements on rehearsal times and stuff."

Rukia accepted it reluctantly, knowing that it was for the greater good.

"Aren't you going to give me yours?" Ichigo questioned when she went ahead and made the turn onto the walkway to her house. "Isn't that standard tradition?"

"Sorry, but I only give my contact information to people I trust. For now, I'll contact you when I have the need to, so you just have to wait until I do. Goodbye and good day."

"I can just ask Orihime for it, you know."

"She wouldn't give it to you."

"She would." Both of them knew that was the truth.

After some inner deliberation, Rukia clenched her teeth and took out her own phone. She dialed the number on the scrap of paper. Ichigo's ringtone sounded, and he accepted the call with a small, triumphant smile.

"Now you have my number. Happy?"

"Delighted. Now I will proceed to post this number all over the internet so people can go and invade your privacy. Goodbye and good day." Ichigo gave a small waved and walked off, ending the call connection.

"Very funny," Rukia muttered under her breath and entered into her home. Byakuya was still away at work, and he usually returned at around seven or eight at night, so the whole house was free for her to do as she pleased. Even with that in mind, she sat herself down at the study desk and spent an hour and a half crunching out all the homework due the next day. There will be no time to do it later, since there is still Renji's dinner party to attend later that night.

Speaking of which, she still had to pick out an outfit to wear for the occasion. And there was only one person fitting for the job –

"Hey Orihime, hypothetically speaking, what kind of clothes would be good for me to wear to a dinner party?"

"Is this a dinner party with a special someone?" Orihime's voice practically radiated more and more excitement with every word she spoke. "Oh, this is exciting, who is this person?"

"Slow down, Inoue," Rukia absentmindedly played with a strand of her hair as she spoke.

"I said hypothetically, didn't I? No need to go overboard with the imagination department. I mean, when was the last time I've had a 'special someone'? I was just wondering what colors would look good on me, nothing too extravagant."

The girl on the other end mused, "Colors, huh? I think a nice lilac or violet would go well with your eyes. If not, you could always go with a more complementary color, like a very light lime."

"Okay, so some purple or maybe greenish shade?"

"Exactly!"

"Maybe I should get a grape costume from the corner store," Rukia giggled. "But thanks for the help. I could probably drudge something up."

She managed to find an old dress that was a nice purple at the back of her closet. It had two thin shoulder straps and ran right above her knees in a ruffled line. As for shoes, there was a pair of dark-colored flats that would work adequately.

By the time she was fully dressed up, it was edging towards six o'clock, so she grabbed a set of keys and made for the garage. The Kuchiki's had two cars – a very sleek and elegant one that Byakuya drove around, and a much clunkier, older one that Rukia had wanted as a present (half of it paid for by herself) for her seventeenth birthday. It was small, silver, and utterly beautiful in her eyes.

The Abarai's don't live too far away, so the drive there barely lasted ten minutes. Renji's parents were actually one of the richest in their school. The story went that they had their lucky break when they patented some complex gadgetry a few years back, and now, they endorse potential entrepreneurs and profit off of their businesses. Today's dinner must be a scouting for more potential candidates they could invest in.

Renji greeted Rukia at the door wearing a stiff suit (looking particularly uncomfortable while doing so) and a blood orange tie. He led her into the living room and whispered, "This is worse than I imagined. Everyone is so much more boring that I imagined, and I've already been kissed on the cheeks three times by ladies I barely even know." "

Renji, I swear you could be an award-winning actor without even trying. You'd be perfect for a main character in a teen angst film. This doesn't seem that horrible." She plucked a small appetizer off the tray of a waiter and consumed it in one bite. Not bad.

"Did I mention that my grandparents are here as well? They're in town and apparently decided to drop in, not that I believe it. They probably just want to mooch off my parents' indoor hot tub." As if on cue, an elderly woman showed up in the living room and seemed delighted to find the two in there.

"Renji, honey! Who might this pretty young lady be?" The woman reached up and ruffled her grandson's hair. He squirmed underneath her hand. "This is Rukia, Grandma. A friend."

The elderly Abarai looked intrigued. "Just a friend? But how cute a couple you two would make. Rukia, I always tell my grandson here that he needs to find someone before all his youth go to waste, but what does he do? Go around doing who knows what and –"

"Renji! One of your friends is at the door," His mother, a pretty woman with russet hair, called from the door.

Glad for the excuse to leave the conversation, Renji grabbed Rukia and practically ran out of the living room. The two of them made their way over to the door, and Rukia inquired, "You invited someone else?"

Ichigo was standing at the entrance, wearing a white button-down shirt and carrying a pie in one hand. "I wasn't sure whether to bring something – oh, fancy seeing you here, Rukia."

There was a moment where Rukia wasn't sure how to react. Her facial expression flitted from surprise to annoyance in one second, and anger to bemusement in the next. She then finally was able to found one to settle on – it conveyed "what in hell is going on?" with an added hint of "why in hell is this always happening to me?" "

Great, you're here, Kurosaki. Now before you say anything, guys, hear me out."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that the chapter was a lot of transition. The next one will be more focused on particular scenes. And I find the idea of a rich Renji interesting, so I decided to add that in. Besides, he's suffered enough, so surely he deserves some happiness, even if it's in fanfiction. :o)**

**Thanks to Baby Velociraptor, halobeast-117, awesomeeeeeeeeee (guest), hirako shinji (guest), Lizzy (guest).**


	4. Request

Chapter Four: Request

Renji led the two out the back door, which led to the family's pool that was rarely used by anyone, even though it was cleaned regularly and the water was kept chlorinate. A porchlight gave enough light to make the entire scene appear comely and cozy. Renji plopped down onto a lawn chair casually and gestured for Ichigo and Rukia to do the same.

"I," He began, putting his fingertips together as if he were making a business proposition, "need a big favor from both of you."

"Go on," Ichigo raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued.

"I need for you two to go to homecoming together. Wait, wait, let me explain," Renji held up his hands before Rukia could fit in a protest. "This could possibly benefit all of us. You know the Ishida person in your homeroom who organizes all those bets and does the math and stuff? Well, he's been organizing a new round lately, and it's solely on who would be going with whom to homecoming."

"Yes, I'm aware of all that." It was a lie. Rukia didn't often take part in these bets, and only really hear about the occasional one from Orihime, who was on closer terms with Uryu.

"Well, recently, the odds for you two going together are actually the lowest out of all the seniors in the school. Rock bottom. It's kind of funny actually, how the two smartest people in our grade finally came last in something." He ventured a small laugh but then went back to a serious face. "But this all means that we can make a pretty good investment and just rake in the money if you two do what I suggest. I'll bet that you two go together, and you two will go together, giving me the results I want. We'll divide all the money evenly, of course."

"No way." Rukia crossed her legs. She had to admit it wasn't entirely that horrible of an idea in essence, but she had to draw the line at _Ichigo_. With anyone else, perhaps, but he would just leave a bitter taste in her mouth the whole night.

"Rukiaaa." It almost sounded like a plead.

Ichigo interjected, and to both their surprise, said with a slight tilt of his head, "I'm down with the idea."

"Great!" Renji's eyes lit up immediately with hope. If he could convince one half of the duo to side with him, then surely the other would be convinced sooner or later. What would entice Rukia is an incentive, though what that detailed, he had no idea. There was nothing he could offer that might make the girl discard her distaste for Ichigo temporarily, but maybe, "I'll offer you half of the profits if you do this instead of a third."

"Didn't your grandmother ever tell you that bribery is immoral?" She smirked, amused at the idea that the entire plan was riding on her decision now alone. She then said with a humph, "And besides, I _could _already be going with somebody. Didn't that ever cross your mind?"

The doubt that came her way from both parties was well-deserved. With a small tug at the edge of his mouth that seemed like a smile, Ichigo inquired, "May I ask with whom?"

"I said 'could,' alright? I just don't like how you just automatically assumed that I'm partnerless for everything. You never know, I could've had a hot date clinging to my arms." This earned a snigger from both boys, but she silenced them with a scowl. "Okay fine, maybe not. But even if I had to go with a date, it wouldn't be him."

Instead of being wounded by her words, Ichigo simply said, "Why's that?"

Rukia spared a glance at Renji and saw that he was frowning slightly, as if he thought she would spout something incredibly blunt, thus ending the civilized conversation and reducing it to another shouting match. It wouldn't be the first time it happened, either, in all the years he had known her, just not always with Ichigo.

She decided to come up with a rational explanation far removed from any personal flaws Ichigo might possess, as to ease Renji's mind about hostilities ensuing . "I wouldn't do that to Orihime."

"Orihime? What has she got to do with this?" The strawberry frowned.

Even Renji appeared amazed at his cluelessness. It was well known throughout Karakura High the affectionate feelings the Inoue girl had towards him, made more blatant by her flustered manners while in his proximity. (And it was also well known the affectionate feelings Uryu Ishida had towards her, but that seemed to be equally unrequited as her crush on Ichigo. Really quite of a mess, this was.)

"You oaf, why else do you think?" She felt tempted to smack him on the arm. "I hear people praising how smart you are, but I'm really having doubts right now." _Well, I've always had doubts, but now most of all._

Something close to the truth finally clicked inside Ichigo, and he began looking troubled. "So you're saying that she... But I thought... wait." He stood up from his lawn chair and then sat back down again. His face was that of someone who discovered a new weapon of mass destruction – glad they found out but not entirely pleased with what it could amount to.

Renji bit his lips in an effort to not laugh at his friend's expression. Slapping him on the back, the russet-hair said, "Congratulations on upgrading from ignorance to slightly less so."

"Hmph." Even Rukia couldn't help but crack a smile.

"But is that the only reason?" Renji edged closer from his seat, sure that he found a loophole. "I mean, she could attend with him, too, but all you need to do is explain the situation. You and Ichigo would appear as the official couple while Orihime and him is the unofficial, but still pretty official, couple. Simple solutions."

"I stand by my principals." Rukia uttered the same moment Ichigo took to saying, "But I never explicitly stated that I'd go with Orihime." They paused and exchanged a look that relayed opposite meanings. Shifting the talking card back to herself, Rukia said, "I can't betray a friend's feelings like that, it's incredibly inconsiderate."

"My initially brilliant money-making scheme doesn't need to be made out to be so complicated. Orihime will be just fine."

"Renji, you don't even need the money." The tone was accusatory.

"I do!"

"And for what?" Rukia raised an eyebrow in doubt.

And suddenly, the Abarai backed down under the scrutinous gaze. Reluctance filled his face, and it was obvious to all present that there was something nagging him in the back of his mind. Unconvincing even to himself, he made do with the excuse of, "Things here and there. Important things."

"How can I say yes to helping you when I don't even know what I'm helping you with?" Inside, she smiled joy. She has managed to successfully turn the problem with the proposition away from her own reluctance and project it onto someone else.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, though, I swear. Just help me out on this one."

Rukia turned her head away from the crestfallen look on Renji's face, knowing if she looked at it for too long, she might acquiesce. This brought up a good question in her conscience of why she just didn't go along with the plan to make one of her oldest friends content, reason given or not. But the other part of her mind _really _did not want to associate with Ichigo on an important night like that, and the backlash with Orihime would be endless. She can't risk it just for some money that Renji already has coming from his parents. She jumped up from her lawn chair and murmured, "I'm really hungry," and briskly walked back into the house towards the directions of the kitchen, glad to be out of the region of any puppy-dog faces.

Ichigo turned and also saw the dejected look on Renji's face. Reassuringly, he slapped his friend on the back and said, "I don't know why you might need the money, but you don't have to explain. It looks pretty important to you, so I promise to figure something out with Rukia and Orihime."

* * *

That Wednesday didn't start out particularly well. Renji hadn't spoken more than a few curt words with her, and school was filled with nothing but talk of homecoming, homecoming, homecoming, constantly reminding her of last night. There was no escape from it.

Rukia's friends all insisted on bugging her on choosing date as well, which didn't help in trying to forget the whole situation. Seeing that it was their last chance to experience a dance (aside from the final prom, of course), most decided against attending simply with their friends. A night going stag cannot suffice for an important landmark such as this.

The list of couples were endless. Among her friends, Momo Hinamori had asked Toshiro Hitsugaya with white flowers, Gin Ichimaru had asked Rangiku Matsumoto in a very Gin-like way, and Hiyori Sarugaki and Shinji Hirako both mutually accepted that they were attending together without any flashy displays of popping the question, etc.

As unenthusiastic as Rukia was about the endless talks, she couldn't help being caught up in the fervor of things, what with the constant whisperings about who was to be elected the king and queen. Taking advantage of that opportunity to further his own means, Uryu Ishida had apparently started another round of betting, and it proved to be one of the more successful ones so far.

"Did you hear, Rukia," Orihime said during their study hall period, grinning broadly. "Uryu told me that I'm on top of the list for the queen candidates!"

"Oh?" Rukia twirled a pencil in her hand expertly. This round, she actually participated in due to loyalty to her friend. Twenty dollars on the Inoue girl. To humor her, she asked, "And who is it for the king?"

The grin on Orihime's face grew wider with intensity. A light blush spread across her pale cheeks and she leaned in and whispered, "It's Ichigo."

"Oh goody." An eye roll, but done not entirely out of unkindness.

"If Uryu's an indicator of anything, and he's usually right about these things, then we might get the final dance together." She was referring to the customary waltz done by the royalty at the end of every homecoming dance.

Sure, Rukia wished for Orihime to have her dreams come true, but she denied the notion that dancing with Ichigo Kurosaki was good enough of a dream. She doubted the strawberry could even dance – he seemed like the type to trip over his own feet at every turn, which is to say, a disappointment. That's not to say she was such a great dancer either, because she certainly wasn't a graceful ballerina when it comes to that, but she could hold her own.

"But do you think I should be the one to ask him?" The ginger-haired girl bit her nails in contemplation. "I don't really know if he is the type to initiate the request, since I've never really been in this position before, but he could be shy when it comes to stuff like this. I mean, Momo was the one who asked Hitsugaya because, you know, he's Hitsugaya, so there's really nothing wrong with the girl being the asker..." She knew she was rambling.

Rukia was just as conflicted as she was at this moment, but on an entirely different matter. Ichigo's feelings towards the girl was more akin to that of a sibling or friend, not a lover, and that was made even more evident by his reactions last night. However, their total lack of communication on that made them both blind to the intents of the other, and that would ultimately result in one party feeling very disappointed at the end of the day.

She wanted to tell her, she really did, but the result could could be messy. There were several possibilities of what might occur, ranging from Orihime simply moving on, to her demolishing all of her refrigerator's contents out of miserableness. It was utterly unpredictable.

So, after accepting that guilt is the inevitable (but favorable choice in this), Rukia decided to just let things play out with no interventions. How the news of Ichigo's platonic feelings would ever reach the girl, she might never know, but it won't be from her.

But this also meant she absolutely cannot, _cannot_, show up to the dance with Kurosaki at her side. If anything, she was even more convinced about this than at Renji's dinner party.

"You know what I think you should do? Just walk right up to him today and straight out state, 'I think we should go to homecoming together.' Be assertive." Rukia doubted he would be rude enough to reject her friend too harshly, if at all, but that could be an indirect method of Orihime finding out. However, the best case scenario would still be that he wished to spare her feelings and just... go, thus alleviating the burdens on her about Renji's plan.

"I can't do that! I mean, I can, but I don't think I should..." Orihime trailed off and looked as conflicted as ever. "Maybe I can talk to his sisters, Yuzu and Karin, to try to find out more about his plans for that day."

Glad that her companion finally resolved her inner disputes, Rukia was about to shift the conversation to another topic when the PA system turned on. In a clear and bright voice, the announcer, Momo Hinamori, said with glee, "Students of Karakura! I'm happy to inform you all that the results of this year's senior elections have been tallied as of ten minutes ago. And due to the suspense this year's votes caused, having such a close running between two presidential candidates, we even double-checked the numbers to make sure."

Rukia's throat constricted. Yes, this was her moment, she was sure of it –

"Without further ado, my anxiously waiting classmates, the winners! The treasurer for this year is to be Uryu Ishida, and the secretary is to be Yumichika Ayasegawa..."

Reasonable choices, Rukia thought. Uryu was obviously the undisputed math person of their grade, ranking only after her and Ichigo, so the money job wouldn't have gone to anyone else. Meanwhile, Yumichika stuck out as slightly out of place, considering his questionable aesthetic choices and perfectionism. That could also be what made him extremely neat and organized, which made ideal characteristics for a secretary.

"...The historian and social chairperson are respectively Yachiru Kusajishi and Rangiku Matsumoto."

Yachiru probably ran for the sole purpose of getting the chance to mooch some snacks during the student council meets, but she was well-like enough. Historian wasn't an entirely complicated position, but she'd be able to slack off now and then. As for Rangiku, there really wasn't really anyone more social. No one.

"But of course, for the two positions that everyone's dying to find out..."

_Come on come on come on, just say my name._

"... Vice president goes to Rukia Kuchiki, and president to Ichigo Kurosaki. Thanks to everyone who voted, and I hope you all have a very pleasant day. Congratulations to the all winners!" Momo cut the connection and an eerie silence hung over Rukia's study hall room. Orihime's eyes were wide with shock.

It was practice for the runner-up president candidate to become the vice.

Which meant Ichigo received more votes than she did.

Which meant she lost.

Which meant he'd be the one giving her orders and such.

Finding no better way to express her feelings on the matter, Rukia swore.

**A/N: I can never figure out if I like Orihime better with Uryu or Ulquiorra, so I've made do with writing in different ones for different fics. Also, the thing with the runner-up taking vice position was based off of early American presidential elections.**

**Please review and sorry for the lateness!**


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